feelgood

I'm starting to have issues with shaving on my face. Basically, I use gel that are made for sensitive skin, jump into the shower and after awhile of drying up, I notice that my skin just kinds of gets dried with skin flakes everywhere. I usually use lotion to hide it but does anyone have this problem? Is there a gel that I could use instead to prevent this from happening again?

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Plan9

You could shave after your shower.

Or during.

...

Use a good moisturizer after you shave and wash your face in the morning.

I have to during the winter or my face flecks off like coconut shavings.

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hrandani

Whenever I start having problems with my face and irritation, or dryness, I just stop shaving for months at a stretch. Then again I am a student, so; I can do that.

I really hate and despise shaving. Unfortunately the beard looks awful to my eyes and the scruff gets old quickly, but nothing to me feels worse than a freshly shaven face, it's like nails on a chalkboard.

MSD

Wet face, exfoliate, wash, shave, apply post-shave healer or soother with moisturizer. I use Clinique for Men three-step shaving kit (exfoliant, shaving gel, mousturizer/soother) plus their extra strength face wash. The 3-piece kit is $30 with a free bag for it and the face wash is $12 for a tube. Each product lasts me two or three months (and I think my brother uses it from time to time since there's only one bathroom and I leave it on the shower rack.) I've got about a week's worth of the exfoliant left now and I got it the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

edit: If you do get something like that, they're not kidding when they say to keep the exfoliant away from your eyes. I'dtake the same precautions for anything with menthol and sand as active ingredients.

genuinegirly

Tt has a similar issue. This is what lotion is made for. It moisturizes. Keep a bottle of lotion next to your shower or on the sink. Apply a gentle, unscented lotion when you're done toweling dry after a shower. Lotion doesn't work as well if you step out of the humid wash room before applying.

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mantic

Shave after showering, use a razor with as few blades as possible, don't use any shaving foam from a pressurized can, shave with the grain of your beard, rinse, relather, then shave across the grain. Rinse well, then use a non-alcohol-based aftershave.

Check out the traditional shaving sub-culture at discussion sites like www.shavemyface.com, www.badgerandblade.com, and www.theshaveden.com.

inBOIL

The fix could be a simple as drinking more water. I've found that when my skin starts to get dry, i'm not well-hydrated. After a few days of making sure I get enough water, the dryness disappears. The only downside is you pee a lot until your body acclimates to your higher water intake.

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Nimetic

Gee. Don't leave soap on your face so long.

Or - dilute it first.

What I do is shower... then go to the sink, soap (with traditional soap, brush and hot water) and shave. The soap is on the face for about 1min.

allaboutmusic

I avoid soap products myself and use soap-free gels.

To the OP, moisturising is a specific part of my shaving routine now, especially during winter when my skin tends to dry out more.

Redlemon

Can you name some brands? I used to use a Gillette soap-free gel, but it doesn't seem to be available anymore.

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allaboutmusic

Well this is what I use now. I prefer King of Shaves, but this is cheaper to use for shaving my head as I need more of the stuff:

http://www.boots.com//brandtreatment...er=BootsExpert

Soap-free shower gels and facial washes are pretty common. I also use fragrance-free Vaseline moisturiser which I apply while the skin is still damp.

fish_oinc

snowy

Using a shave product that contains more moisturizer will certainly help. I use Kiss My Face's Moisture Shave, which contains shea butter and natural oils to moisturize. Tom's of Maine also makes a product made with natural oils.

I started using the Kiss My Face stuff because it's easier to find than the Tom's of Maine. I need a shaving cream with a lot of moisturizer in the winter, otherwise the skin on my legs starts looking ashy. You can find this stuff at any Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or similar; some mass-market retailers even carry Kiss My Face products now.

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thingstodo

After shaving fro 30+ years I've found it comes down to a few simple things.

First, soap soften your beard, so washing your face first is important. Since there is dead skin on your face, some sort of exfoliant works well. I like Nutrogena Razor Defense but have used there are a few other brands in the men's section.

A good razor is important, one that is kept clean. I change mine every two weeks at the very least. Shaving first with the grain and then against gives you a close shave. I just use extra shaving cream from other areas to do that. The cream itself isn't that important. I use regular old Gillette white foam. And let the razor do the work; don't push hard.

Rinsing with warm to cool water closes the skin pores. Don't use hot. Then finish with a mositurizer.

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allaboutmusic

Some people get ingrown hairs when they do this - just a warning. I don't tend to so I shave both ways when I do my head.

Scorpion23

I've found that it becomes more of a problem when you use a razor with multiple blades. That little animation they all use of the razor lifting the hair out of the skin to cut it is a good visual of why it happens. I use a straight razor and haven't gotten one since I started.

thingstodo

Heh. I'm one of those people. Used to drive me crazy because I'd get a zit that would be there until I finally got the hair our with tweezers. What a pain in the neck - pun intended!

I finally figured out that the blade needs to be sharp - really sharp. And really clean. Ingrown hairs (for me) tend to be the hairs that aren't cleanly cut. Using a good soap like the Razor Defense really softens my beard as well which helps the razor do its work. Since I figured that out I've been shaving super close with zero problems. That's why I change my blade every two weeks. Period. I use a Gillette Senzor which I think has two blades. And I shave slow and let the blade do the work, not speed or pressure.

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If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves.

Stangers have the best candy.